1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile devices capable of destroying, treating, and/or disposing of munitions. More particularly, the present invention relates to transportable devices capable of treating explosively configured chemical munitions providing the capability of a contained destruction of said munitions. Most particularly, the present invention relates to devices capable of explosively destroying and detoxifying chemical munitions within a gas-tight enclosure, i.e., without venting of any explosion combustion products or toxic chemicals during detonation, and providing for the subsequent neutralization or detoxification of any toxic chemicals present such as industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents.
2. Description of the Related Art
The United States Department of Defense is required under Public Law 102-484, Section 176, to safely destroy all U.S. non-stockpile chemical warfare material (NSCM). The priority for destroying NSCM has increased because of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) negotiations and the realization that some Chemical Warfare Material (CWM) are in the public domain and others are located close to public areas.
The U.S. Army Program Manager for Non-Stockpile Chemical Material (PMNSCM) has developed a transportable Explosive Destruction System (EDS) to provide the capability of destroying explosively configured munitions unsafe for transport or storage. The mission of the EDS is to destroy explosively configured chemical warfare munitions, contain the blast and fragments created when opening the munition, and treat the chemical fill of the munition, without release to the environment.
Devices for safely handling explosives are well known in the art. For example, Fylling, U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,479, describes a mobile container in which an explosive, such as a time bomb, can be placed after discovery for transport to a suitable location for disarming. In includes a ballistic grille to vent explosion gases in an upwardly direction. Hickerson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,601, describes a container for explosive devices that includes inner and outer cylinders to substantially contain detonation fragments and the blast. This device is intended to transport improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or homemade bombs to a safe disposal area. Benedick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,247, describes an explosive storage container designed to absorb and contain the blast, fragments, and detonation products from an unintentional detonation of the contained explosive or munition. Here again, the device is designed to safely transport and store a munition and includes distinct layers to absorb the explosive energy. All of these devices are intended to provide a safe means for transport and/or storage of an explosive, but none are designed for purposeful detonation in order to destroy the explosive, and none are gas-tight or otherwise designed to treat toxic or hazardous chemical payloads.
Holmlund et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,126 describes a chamber for containing the effects arising from explosions or detonations whether initiated intentionally or unintentionally inside the chamber. The chamber comprises a cylindrically formed mantle with associated sealed ends. Ohlsson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,350, describes a spherical container or chamber to protect the surroundings by containing critical stages in the manufacture of explosives, or to store or serve as a bunker for explosives. Ohlson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,559, describes a readily replaceable liner to be used in detonation chambers and capable of receiving fragments to mitigate the effects of splinters produced by explosions, and in which only damaged parts of the liner need to be replaced; and Ohlson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,041, describes a cylindrical blasting chamber which can contain high pressure and splinters produced by an explosion. The blasting chamber includes a double-wall design such that explosive pressure is distributed fairly evenly between the inner and outer walls. However, these devices are not intended to be used for the safe detonation and chemical treatment of explosively configured chemical warfare munitions.
Donovan, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,613,453 and 5,884,569, describes methods and an apparatus for containing and suppressing explosive detonations, whether for the explosive working of metals or for the disposal of unwanted explosive munitions. Said apparatus includes a linear array of vent pipes to vent the explosions's gaseous combustion products for subsequent treatment in a scrubber. This apparatus includes a double-walled steel explosion chamber anchored to a concrete foundation, and double-walled access and vent doors. Energy absorbing means such as water-filled bags and conventional chain blast mats are also employed. This device is not intended to be readily mobile, is not equipped for chemical neutralization, nor is it gas-tight so that it can safely contain toxic chemical warfare agents and byproducts.
Explosive chambers have also been developed for controlling and suppressing the detonation of explosives used for industrial applications such as surface hardening of manganese steel rail, welding of metallic components, and compression molding of components from powders. Most of these applications permit the release of the explosion combustion products into the atmosphere. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,419,862 and 4,100,783 issued to Hampel and Gambarov, respectively. Dribas U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,883 and Minin U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,982 disclose spherical containment vessels for explosive working of metals, the latter also including an internal liquid spray for neutralizing toxic byproducts of the explosion. Here again, these devices are intended to explosively work or harden a workpiece, are not intended to access the interior of the workpiece or otherwise destroy it, and are not gas-tight or otherwise suitable for disposal of chemical warfare munitions.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore highly desirable to provide an apparatus which can be used to dispose of chemical warfare munitions by explosively accessing the interior of said munition within a gas-tight vessel so that all detonation products including any highly toxic chemical warfare agents are contained in a gas-tight manner, and subsequently treating the remains of the munition and the contained detonation products with means to neutralize and detoxify any remaining chemical warfare agent within the gas-tight vessel.